The John and Catherine Christian House, SAMARA.

In the early 1950s, Purdue University professor Dr. John Christian and his wife Catherine dreamed of a home that would serve both their desire to entertain faculty, staff, and students and be a lasting structure that would grow with their family. Research, perseverance, and a touch of luck led the Christians to Frank Lloyd Wright with whom they built their dream home.

The John and Catherine Christian House, commonly known as SAMARA, is one of the most complete Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the United States. Nestled in one of Indiana’s most historically significant cities, the 2,200 square-foot SAMARA was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2015. The home affords national and international visitors of all ages the rare and immersive opportunity to experience Mr. Wright’s fully realized Usonian design just as if they were guests of the family.

SAMARA, named for the winged seeds found in pinecones, was completed in 1956 near the end of Mr. Wright’s career. The home was built on a modest budget and with the caveat that the clients would see the famous architect’s designs through to full completion.

John and Catherine held true to this commitment and the architect’s vision. Today, SAMARA is an approachable and educational work of art that proudly features more than 40 of Mr. Wright’s architectural innovations and plays host to thousands of visitors annually.

We are currently in the process of building a new website for SAMARA, which will be available soon. In the meantime, thank you for visiting. If you’d like to be notified when the full site is complete, please email us.

Halfway between two of America’s most architecturally important cities.

SAMARA is located close to Interstate 65 in West Lafayette, Indiana (the home of Purdue University). This places it approximately halfway between Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Indiana, two of America’s most architecturally important cities.

Welcome to SAMARA.

Tours of SAMARA, and the surrounding property, are available by reservation, April 1st through the end of November. Tours generally last up to two hours. During your visit, among other topics, you’ll learn about Mr. Wright, the family’s personal experiences working with him, and how the architect’s philosophies were applied at SAMARA. Tours may also be designed to incorporate your particular areas of interest.

Request a media kit.

If you’re a member of the media and would like more information about SAMARA, the story of the home, the 40 Wright innovations featured on the property or any other information about this unique Usonian design, use the link below to request our media kit.

We also welcome you to call Linda Eales, SAMARA Associate Curator, at (765) 409-5522 to arrange a private tour or interview.